


Trench Warfare

by Wichi



Series: Trench Warfare [1]
Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Angst, BLU, Battle, Blood and Gore, Combat, Dad Spy, Dustbowl, F/M, Female Protagonist, Gen, M/M, Medic oc - Freeform, Original Character(s), Red - Freeform, Respawn, Respawn failure, Rivalry, Scout Abuse, Sniper oc - Freeform, Surgery, TF2 OC, fluff if you squint
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-13
Updated: 2016-04-22
Packaged: 2018-06-02 01:57:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6545824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wichi/pseuds/Wichi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The recent destruction of Well leads to the disbanding of its teams. Dustbowl is thrown off balance when the Administrator announces the BLU team has been chosen to receive Well's Sniper.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

### Chapter 1: Unrest

News traveled fast at Dustbowl. Both the Builder's League United and the Reliable Excavation Demolition bases were buzzing over the recent destruction of the base location known as 'Well'. The terminal base had received radio reports of a sabotaged train heading its way, unmanned and filled to the brim with explosives. Both teams had no choice but to grab what they could and _run._  
  
The train utterly _decimated_ Well. RED and BLU alike had trudged down the tracks to the nearest outpost, both under strict orders not to harm the other. 

The real trouble started when friendships began to form among them.

Much like the incident between a RED Demoman and a BLU soldier, the Administrator and Ms. Pauling planned to put an abrupt end to that. But, instead of rebuilding the base and thinking of sick, twisted ways to whither the recent bonds between enemies, both teams were dissembled outright. The base's reconstruction was put on indefinite hold, as far as the combat aspect of it was concerned. Both companies had grown irritated with the constant need of repairs for the train tracks after matches. It was honestly a miracle no train had derailed at Well before.   
  
The individuals on both teams were assigned to separate bases all over the country.

The talking really started when the BLU base at Dustbowl was selected as one of the recruiting bases for the broken team. All the mercenaries knew was they were receiving a new sniper, and the only person angrier than the REDs about BLU having two snipers was BLU's original sniper.

The tall, lanky Australian folded his arms, leaning casually against his trusty camper van, waiting impatiently for his company to arrive. The sun had finally settled in the distance, the last of the scorching heat dying with it. Dying rays glinted off yellow sunglasses, and the Aussie finally slipped them off.   
  
Grey eyes were fixed in a tanned face with a long chin, short brown hair tucked beneath a hat with a folded brim. The BLU Sniper was in his early thirties, though the constant sun exposure had aged him a bit. Normally, he had a wry, mischievous patience about him, especially on the field, as if he had all the time in the world to make sure your funeral wouldn't be open casket.  
  
Tonight was an utter contradiction of his usual composure. The Sniper was restless and angry, limbs shifting with irritation the longer he was left to wait.  

The Aussie growled at the thought of 'needing' another sniper. Sure the bloke on the RED team was a terrific shot, but so was he. Their records were usually neck and neck. Although the Sniper hated to admit it, the RED Scout was probably to blame. The blood piker from Boston was lightning fast and damn good at his job. Every bullet the Sniper had managed to nail him with was considered a personal victory. Maybe with two they could finally slow the mongrel down…

"You really _are_ moping around like a child, aren't you?"   
  
Sniper shot a glare in the direction of the intruding voice.   
  
"At least I'm not 'idin' like a coward, y' bloody spook."   
  
With a slight chuckle, RED's spy materialized in the darkness, his red suit and balaclava in stark contrast with his dim surroundings. "A necessary precaution. Our idle chats are 'ardly legal."   
  
It was hard to argue with that.

Both the RED Spy and the BLU Sniper had been recruited at the same time. It had sparked an intense rivalry between them, both killing the other as often and viciously as they could. Eventually it had grown into mutual respect for one another and, on rare occasions such as this, they sought each other out for information or advice.

"What've y' 'eard on your end?" The Sniper asked, trying to keep the hopefulness out of his voice. The enemy spy sighed, obviously disappointed with his lack of useful intel on the matter.   
  
"Aside from your base's call from the Administrator, not terribly much."   
  
Sniper's jaw dropped. "Ow in bloody 'ell did y' 'ear that call? It was in _our_ bloody base!"

The spy grinned deviously. "I have my ways, mon ami."   
  
The Sniper was less than amused, shaking his head in disgust. "Stupid bloody spies…" He murmured as the Spy nonchalantly pocketed the knife he had killed the Sniper with countless times. Not that the spy hadn't met his own demise at the end of the sniper's kukri on numerous occasions. Yet it didn't take a secret agent such as himself to realize the marksman was deeply unsettled.

"This new sniper is not sitting well with you at all, is it?" The rugged Aussie shot his rival a look that could kill. "Just doesn't seem right 'avin' two a' the same class. I wouldn't want two a' you bloody spooks after my team." The spy folded his arms casually. "You think I enjoy de idea of two scopes pointed in my direction at any given time? I 'ate respawning as much as you." He replied and the Sniper inwardly shuddered. Respawn was hardly an enjoyable experience, despite the fact they had been subjected to it hundreds of times.

"It's a right bloody rootin' this is. What'm I supposed to do, share my nest with this bloke? Yeah, tha' won' attract any bloody attention…"   
  
The spy grinned slyly. "Maybe de man will be terrible and you will be expected to teach 'im." He chuckled, earning every bit of the sour glare the sniper gave him.   
  
"S'all I need right now. 'Avin' to teach some cocky brat which end th' bullets come out of."

The spy shook his head and checked his watch. "If you are done venting, I do actually 'ave news. The new sniper should be 'ere by late Friday afternoon."   
  
The Sniper was astounded. "Two bloody _days_? That's _it_?" The enemy spy nodded, also disturbed by the brevity of the situation.   
  
"It seems we 'ave less time than we thought. Lucky for you, you get Saturday and Sunday cease-fire to get to know 'im better."   
  
Sniper grunted. "Lucky ain't th' word I had in mind, mongrel."

Spy's grin faded as he readied his cloaking watch. "Shall we do this again Sunday?" A faint smile tugged at the corners of the BLU Sniper's mouth. Of course his arch rival would want a report on his newest enemy.   
  
"Nah, I'll be too busy teachin' 'im 'ow best to kill your ugly mug."   
  
The RED Spy eyed him evenly before vanishing into thin air. "Bring 'im along if you must. Perhaps I will come to enjoy murdering 'im as much as I do _you_."   
  
  


Friday afternoon came and the Sniper stood back from the rest of his team as the train rolled to a stop. The logo for Builder's League United donned the door to the passenger compartment, and the team waited anxiously for it to open. _Watch'm be just like the bloody RED Scout_. He thought darkly, ignoring the Soldier's glare at him for not being at the front of the pack to welcome the bloke who'd be stealing half his job.

"What's takin' 'im so long?" the Engineer drawled, adjusting his welding goggles, "And who told the sun it could borrow Pyro's flamethrower?" The Pyro giggled evilly in response, still in full gear and mask despite the cease-fire. Scout and the Demoman were growing more and more impatient by the second, constantly fidgeting, but the Medic, Heavy, and Spy seemed perfectly at ease.

Suddenly the door to the train shuddered open. _Finally_ , the Sniper thought, _what took the bloke so bloody—_ but the thought was lost as the new sniper stepped into, view carrying only a duffel bag and a rifle case.  
  
  


The new sniper looked bemused at the sudden spotlight. Nine pairs of eyes were trained on her, as if they'd had nothing better to do than stand in the scorching sun and wait.   
  
The Sniper was short and toned, pale skin marred here and there with the same battle scars they all bore. Shoulder-length, wavy brown hair was tied back in a ponytail and shoved under a grey ball cap, shorter strands falling on either side of her large sunglasses. Cargo pants were tucked into combat boots, a brown vest with the Sniper badge hanging open over a blue shirt.   
  
She said nothing as she stepped off the train, eyes hidden behind the sunglasses as she took them all in turn.

"Welcome to the Dustbowl, Sniper!" The soldier declared, shoving his teammates out of the way and offering her his hand. She shook it firmly, offering the American a curt nod. She stared down the youngest of the men before her, the scout. He was perhaps one or two years younger, maybe 23 or 24. She didn't have the best record when it came to Scouts.

The two men that really captured her attention were standing on the far edges of the group. The Medic looked young for his class, maybe early 30s. Her last Medic had been somewhere close to his 60s. The other man could only be the Sniper. He was tall and lanky, and his rugged face told of years of exposure to the sun and wilderness. But it was the expression on his face that bothered her. It was shocked but calculating, trying to figure her out.  
  
 _Good luck with that._

She turned away and followed the Soldier as he barked something about living quarters. The thought of somewhere with air-conditioning was downright intoxicating. The sudden transfer from temperate Well to the heat-blasted desert had not been enjoyable. The Soldier barked on about where everything was, what time meetings and meals were, where they would be debriefed on battles. Not once did she communicate more than a nod, shake of the head or hand gesture.

Finally her room was discovered, and she gratefully slung her bag and rifle onto the simple bed. The hat and glasses were pulled off to reveal a pair of hazel eyes that were no longer interested in the American.   
  
"There's plenty of time to clean up before dinner. Is there anything you need from us, son?" He asked. She shook her head dismissively as she unzipped her bag. "Not much of a talker, are you?"    
  
She didn't glance up, rifling through the meager contents of her bag.  
  
"People don't enjoy talking vizh me." 

The Soldier offered a slight laugh. "Another Kraut, huh? Well we enjoy talking with him for the most part."   
  
With that he turned on his heels and strode down the hall, leaving her to wonder just who 'him' was. Before she could call down and ask, the other sniper towered in her doorway, and she considered if he could possibly be this other 'mystery' German.

"Seems you nd' me are gonna have to share a class." He declared, waiting for her response. His smile faltered when she offered none, inwardly disappointed at the fact he was most definitely _not_ German.  
  
"I just meant we're both gonna be snipin' at th' same time, in th' same nest."   
  
She arched a brow, silently appreciating the husky Australian accent as she blew the hair out of her face and dug through her bag.   
  
"Except zhat ve're not."   
  
It was obvious he was taken aback by her thick, German accent.   
  
"I just … thought we should have a plan." He murmured as his brash demeanor faded. The Sniper watched as his counterpart extracted a shirt from her bag without sparing him a glance.   
  
"You keep your nest. I vork better on zhe move."

She heard the Australian shift uncomfortably behind her. He had probably rehearsed the conversation in his mind many times, expecting some sort of bitter fight. She simply heaved her bag onto the ground with a grunt and turned to her new teammate.

"I don't like zhis anymore zhan you do. Zhe least ve can do is stay out of each ozher's vay."   
  
He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck as he scrambled for words. She shook her head with an air of finality as she donned the hat and sunglasses and moved past him out the door.

"Oi, love! You got a name or'm I gonna have t' make one for ya?"  
  
She turned back for a moment, figuring they might as well know each other's names. "Bernadette Biltz. Back home, zhey called me Dani."   
  
The Sniper's expression brightened a bit, triumphant to have gotten at least _some_ response out of his counterpart.  
  
"My name's Flynn, Flynn Mundy. If you ever need anythin, jus' ask."  
  
Dani nodded, turning her back on the Sniper before her footsteps disappeared down the hall.

 

 


	2. Echoes

Dani winced against the searing heat of the desert. Despite the warmth, she still wore pants and sleeves over a generous amount of sunscreen. Her pale complexion had never been on good terms with the sun. But the thin material breathed comfortably enough, and shaded areas were vital to her line of work. She missed Well's temperate climate, but she'd survive.

Although Dani had her favorite spot at Well, Dustbowl offered a promising array of hiding places with its jumbled buildings, jagged landscape, and numerous tunnels. Her first battle would no doubt be spent sprinting all over the map, trying to discern which spots yielded the most kills and least chance of being sent to respawn.

Truthfully, battle had been the only part of the day she could stand. On the field, she was free to do what she was best at. Many battles had been strategically turned by her alone. Dani smiled, remembering how the old RED Medic and Engineer from the Viaduct had hated her so. She loved lying in wait for the words 'Ready to charge' and 'building a sentry' before taking her shot.

Life off the field had been another story. Despite the obvious diversity here, her old BLU teammates had been entirely American. She was one of two girls on the team, the other being a Scout. The Scout had been tall and beautiful, lightning fast, and thoroughly enjoyed the attention she usually deserved for her efforts on the field. Dani, with her average looks, assortment of scars, thick accent, and complete indifference toward her teammates, had been alienated from the start. Sniping was a job, not a beauty pageant or a catwalk.  
  
And she was good at it.

Dani had been drafted after the Scout, and had no interest in competing for her teammates' attention. The more her New York, California, and Texas teammates chided her about her accent and lack of sociability, the more they realized the German simply didn't care. It wasn't until her skill on the battlefield was demonstrated they began to respect her. Soon they came to view her silence as intimidating.   
  
Only once had she sent a fellow teammate back to respawn, but the one incident was all it took.

The BLU scout had been running back to their base with the RED's intel when the enemy Scout managed to break her leg with the swing of his Sandman. Dani had made short work of the RED Scout, and watched through the scope with exasperation as the girl refused to hand off the briefcase to her teammates, demanding they find the Medic so she could take it herself. Nevermind that RED was closing in fast. She'd rather have sacrificed the match then let someone else have the spotlight and carry it to victory.

Such events had been going on for months, building to the obnoxious level it was today, and Dani had finally had enough. Hazel eyes were cold and calculating as she aimed the deadly rifle and fired a bullet right between her teammate's eyes. The Soldier, Heavy, and Spy all looked up at her incredulously, knowing from the way the girl had been thrown, the bullet could only have come from the BLU's gun.  
  
"GET ZHE PAPERS!  _SCHWEINHUNDE_ ,  _RAUS_!"   
  
The BLUs scrambled to grab the briefcase and ended up winning the match. After that, Dani had been avoided completely, especially by that Scout. Life at the base had dramatically improved.   
  
 _You can't get attached, Bernadette. It's too dangerous for people like us._

Dani leaned against a boulder and folded her arms, lost in her memories of Well. It wasn't surprising she had been left out of the friendships formed between the REDs and BLUs. Her own comrades had been quick to warn the others to steer clear, and she'd had no interest in learning the names of the people she'd been paid to kill. The RED Demoman had chatted with her some, a quick-witted Venezuelan who'd blown her to bits more than once. He was the only one, and they'd been shipped out the next day. 

She never did catch his name, but she was pretty sure he was out there ruining sentries like he always had, taunting the BLU team in machine gun Spanish. 

The BLUs, on the other hand, had become so practiced at excluding her it seemed they could no longer see her at all. Dani smirked slightly, remembering how confused she was stepping off the train here and finding so many people staring. She had become so used to being the silent, spectral killer…

      "Sniper?"   
  
Dani's pistol whipped around in one lightning move as the Heavy walked up next to her. She hadn't heard him coming, a man _that large,_ and she hadn't heard him coming. She could almost hear her father's disapproval from Stuttgart.   
  
"Mein _gott_!" she hissed, holstering the weapon. How did you do zhat?" The Heavy smirked as he strode, dwarfing her frame with every step. Dani barely came up to his elbows.   
  
"You must be German, you sound just like Doktor."

So it was the Medic who shared her heritage. It explained the rigid composure.   
  
"Danke?" She mused, not entirely sure how to respond but the Heavy laughed.

       "Is amusing, I am not used to hearing that accent from someone so small."

Dani shook her head at the large man, placing his own accent. 

  
"You are Soviet?"

He nodded. "Da, am from Russia. You should see Doktor. Perhaps now we will know what insults he throws at us in German."

Dani barely had time to open her mouth before a giant hand clapped behind her shoulder and began leading her away. "You will like Doktor. Though maybe he will be talking your ear off."   
  
She wasn't entirely sure this would be a truly enjoyable experience, but the idea of having a conversation in her own native language was damn near intoxicating. Aside from brief phone calls to her brother, she hadn't been able to converse in German for months.   
  
But one doesn't change their nature overnight.  
  
"Kamerad, he is probably _vorking_. Medics get stuck vizh all zhe papervork." The Heavy grunted and waved this notion off. Apparently the Medic had no more choice than she did.   
  


In what seemed like no time at all the large Russian and tiny German arrived at the infirmary.   
  
"Do not worry, Sniper." The Heavy smirked as he pushed the doors open, "Doktor is nice when coffee supply is good." He ushered Dani inside and let the swinging doors shut behind him.

The Medic had been standing over his desk, filling out a form, and he glared at the sound of the doors. He was a tall man, perhaps even taller than Flynn. His shoulders were wrapped in a blue-tinted lab coat buttoned tightly down his toned chest. Pale blue eyes stared at them through small, rounded glasses at the end of his nose. He had a long jaw and an unruly mop of curly, jet-black hair. Despite the usual age of TF Medics, this one appeared to be in his mid-thirties. As per the warning, the scent of fresh coffee filled her nose, the maker in the corner gurgling through its cycle.

"Hallo, Herr." The Medic greeted before noticing Dani. "Is somezhing wrong?"   
  
Before Dani could open her mouth, the Heavy answered for her. "No Doktor, Sniper is fine. But I must be going now. I will be seeing both of you at dinner!" With that the large Russian left an exasperated Dani alone in the infirmary.

The doctor did look briefly annoyed, but it faded quickly enough.   
  
"Vell go on zhen, have a seat." He grunted, waving at a chair at the end of his desk. She awkwardly sat down with her arms folded on the wooden surface as he rifled through some papers.

"Every single _day_ zhis papervork adds up, and every day it seems zhat HQ is demanding _more_. Respawn reports … vhat a joke. Vhat does it _mattah_ who died and how many times? Vinning should be enough, but nein. I don't know  _vhat_ zhey expect to accomplish vizh zhese—" he stopped short, noticing the uncharacteristic smirk that had stretched across her face. " _Vhat_!?" he demanded. She smiled again, answering the best way she knew how.   
  
" _Sie hören sich vertraut an_."

The Medic leaned against the table with one hand, astonished. "Vell now … vhat have ve here? _Sprechen sie Englisch_?" She nodded and he laughed, genuinely thrilled. "Vell, it's about damn time zhey hired somevone else from Germany.Vhat is your name?" he asked.

      "Call me Dani. I said von vord to Herr Heavy and he decided to drag me here." She replied as he stuck out a gloved hand and she shook it warmly.

      "Nice to meet you, Dani. My name is Fritz."

They carried on, laughing and swapping stories until the clock on the wall demanded they walk down to the cafeteria for dinner. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dani's face claim is Ellen Page. Fritz's face claim is Tom Hiddleston. He is not the canon Medic.


	3. First Blood

Dinner had almost been an extremely awkward affair. Dani had pushed open the cafeteria doors, still accompanied by the Medic, and found every pair of eyes trained on her. She had watched as the Scout, Engineer and Demoman leapt to their feet to greet her and inwardly sighed.

      "You can bombard her vizh qvestions later Dummkopfe, let zhe Fräulein eat!" Fritz waved them off firmly. Dani watched, amazed as the Engineer and Demoman nodded respectfully, and even the Scout bit his tongue and retreated. The BLU Medic from Well had been a joke no one had taken seriously. She had always been secretly glad the old sniper nest had kept her from most harm, since there was sincere doubt her old Medic's knowledge extended beyond how to turn on the Medigun.

      "Zhey listen to you." She murmured as her nose pointed toward the food Pyro was dishing out.

      "Vhy vouldn't zhey? I keep zhem alive." Fritz smirked, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Dani, who had been leery about accepting a dish prepared by a maniacal arsonist, was rather surprised when she was handed a large cheeseburger and fries that could have passed inspection at any upscale restaurant. The Medic noticed her mild shock and grinned. "Believe it or not, zhe Pyro is a vonderful cook."

The two Germans took their seats at a corner table opposite the Russian. Dani took the time to listen to her teammates. The blue-suited man could only be the Spy, and he was egging on the Demoman with no small amount of glee.

      "Come now, Tavish, tell me. What makes you a good Demoman?" The Spy asked.

Tavish looked at him incredulously over a bottle of scrumpy.

      "What makes me a good Demoman? If aye were a _**BAD** DEMOMAN, AYE WOULDN' BE **SITTIN'** HERE, **DISCUSSIN'** IT WITH YA, NOW **WOULD AYE!?"**_

Dani couldn't help but look back at the angered Scottish tones, slightly amazed. He caught her gaze and shook his bottle for emphasis.

      "Tha's right, lassie, I'm a black Scottish Cyclops. They've got more fucking monsters in the lochs than they got the likes a' me!"

She couldn't help but laugh, shaking her head as she turned back to her cheeseburger. Tavish, she decided, was alright.

Hazel eyes flicked upward to catch the Scout's gaze, who promptly shoved half his cheeseburger in his mouth and proceeded to choke it down.

      "Vell, zhat vasn't smart."

      "Ja," the Medic agreed, "he means vell, but he never stops talking."

Dani couldn't help but shake her head as the Engineer slapped the Scout's back to try and help him out.   
  
      "At least zhey've all stopped staring for zhe most part. I don't understand zhe interest, it's just anozher mercenary." She mused, but the Heavy waved her off.

      "Never have we been having two people in same class, Sniper. And not much else is being new around here."

She smirked, trying to pile her fixings back onto the burger with little success.   
  
      "I'm sure zhe REDs are just tickled."

She watched the Medic's face darken, but he said nothing. They both new she would be a primary target for the Monday match. The REDs at Well had done the same thing two years ago. Nothing opposing teams loved more than 'initiating' the newest enemy...

      "Mind if I join y', mates?"

Dani glanced up as Flynn grinned down at them, his hat and sunglasses still on despite the windowless cafeteria. Fritz, however, was not amused.

      "I'll tell you vhat I told zhe ozhers, Herr Sniper, she doesn't need to be interrogated over her first meal." Flynn's smile faded and Dani found herself annoyed at the Doctor's growing over-protection.

      "I'm done anyvay." She announced to no one in particular as she dropped her dish in the sink and disappeared down the hall.  
  
_I need to get out of this damn building,_ She thought, rounding the corner that lead to her room. _Oh wait, I'll fry to death. Because I had to get stationed in the god damn desert._

Three days ago she had been a feared outcast. Now she was having somewhat normal conversations with people.

Dani settled on the cold floor of the room and pulled her rifle case into her lap, flipping the latches and tilting the lid open with a creak. The deadly rifle gleamed before her, even in the dark confines of its case. She smiled as she ran a loving hand down the barrel, longing to use it again. Sniping would bring back at least some sense of normalcy.  
  
Socializing was a chore. Killing was easy.

She sighed and slammed the lid shut. There was nothing she could do with the rifle now.  
  
      "Trigger finger's itchin'?"  
  
Dani's head snapped again as Flynn leaned casually in her doorway.  
  
      "Does anyvone here ever say hello?" She asked and he laughed easily.

The German took a moment to admire his lean, tanned frame as he did. She could only marvel at the thin, loping grace and sense of ease that surrounded him.

      "Nah, that'd be too easy. Scarin' is about all there is t' do durin' cease-fires." He chuckled.

Dani inwardly growled and heaved the case off her lap.

      "Did you vant somezhing or vhat?" she asked, ignoring the twinge she felt as the smile slipped off his face.

      "Easy, love. Di'nt mean t' rile y' up. Just wanted t' say we 'ave a good lot 'ere, alrigh'? They'll get used to ya an' calm down soon enough."

 

* * *

 

Sunday night came, and the BLU Sniper once again leaned against his camper, waiting and wondering what to say.  
  
      "Well? 'Ow is de babysitting business?" A disembodied voice asked.  
  
Flynn smirked as his impatient enemy appeared before his eyes.

      "Jus' couldn' wait, could ya?" The Frenchmen threw him a reproachful glare as he adjusted the cloaking watch.

      "Naturally I'd want to learn more about any man being paid 'andsomely to kill me." He stated, and Flynn's mouth twisted unpleasantly.

The Spy did not fail to notice.  
  
      "Don't tell me 'e's as 'orrible as you imagined?" He pried as Flynn rubbed the back of his neck, a tell-tale sign he was nervous.

      "Not … not exactly, mate." The Spy folded his arms impatiently while the Sniper fumbled for words.

      "I do not 'ave all night, bushman. Out with it." Flynn dropped his arm and shoved his hands into his pockets with a sigh.

      "Our new sniper's a sheila. Mid-twenties by th' look of 'er." He replied.

Spy's eyes widened in mild surprise.

      "Really. 'Ow interesting..." He mused. Flynn merely grunted, staring at the ground. The Spy casually lit a cigarette and turned back to his rival.

      "I 'ardly believe you have nothing else to say on the matter." He scolded, blowing out a puff of smoke.

Flynn threw him a look before offering a shrug.  
  
      "Kind of a mute, she is. Got an accent I could cut with m' knife."

The Spy tilted his head in interest.

      "Where is she from?" he asked with intrigue.

      "Germany." Flynn answered, "Sounds just like both our bloody Medics. Doc's th' only one she's 'ad a decent conversation with."

Spy took another drag on his cigarette, mulling the information other.

      "Does she speak English?" he inquired and Flynn nodded.

      "I think it's th' bloody accent that keeps 'er from talkin'. Well... that an' th' fact she doesn' seem a damn bit interested in knowin' any of us t' begin with."  
  
The Spy's grinned slyly at the hint of bitterness in his counterpart's voice.

      "Not jealous are you, mon ami?"

Flynn startled at the unexpected comment.

      "Jealous a' what?" The spy's grin widened but he changed the subject nonetheless.  
  
      "So 'ow does she feel about sharing space with a repulsive bushman like yourself?" He smirked as the Aussie shot him a glare.  
  
      "Better me than a dirty French backstabber, Adrien."

The Spy froze at the sound of his real name, but quickly regained his composure.

      "My own team doesn't know that name, Flynn." He growled murderously, "I'd appreciate you not throwing it around carelessly. Especially in times like this."  
  
Flynn sighed, knowing Adrien was right.  
  
      "Sorry, mate." He conceded and Adrien flicked his cigarette away.

      "As I was saying … 'ow does she feel about all this?" he asked.

Flynn merely shrugged.

      "She ain' in love with th' idea. But all she's said t' me is I've got my nest 'nd she don' want it." Adrien folded his arms once more. "Isn't that what you wanted, mon ami?" He pried, watching his enemy carefully. Flynn growled and said nothing, and he didn't really have to.

      "At any rate, I feel you should know the REDs are planning a rather … extensive welcoming party for this new Sniper." Adrien warned evenly.  
  
Flynn rounded on the RED spy in rage.

      "Th' hell do y' mean, 'welcomin' party!? Torturin' one bloody person won' win th' match!"

Adrien held up his hands with a frown.

      "The idea was not mine. I am just telling you what I know."

The Sniper turned away, rubbing his face tiredly.

      "I appreciate it, mate. But, I have a feeling th' REDs will be given a run for their money."  
  
Adrien smiled slightly, watching the other man.

      "You don't dislike 'er, do you?"  
  
Flynn merely gave an exasperated shrug.

      "She 'asn't said five bloody words t' me. I don' know a damn thing about her."

Adrien smirked and readied his cloaking watch.

      "I see. Enjoy the match tomorrow."

With that, the Frenchman disappeared into the night, leaving the Australian to stew.

* * *

 

      _"MISSION BEGINS IN THIRTY SECONDS."_

Dani tightened the grip on her trusted rifle as her teammates buzzed in anticipation. She frowned as Flynn shot her another sideways glance of concern. She recalled how he had confronted her that morning, almost demanding that she share the nest with him rather than go off on her own.

Dani regretted her cold refusal, but what he had said didn't make sense. Two snipers in the same nest would draw far more attention than one. And if she couldn't find a decent place to shoot from on her own, she didn't deserve the crosshair badge on her vest.

      _"MISSION BEGINS IN TEN SECONDS."_

Dani cracked her neck and waited as the countdown began.

      "Ready to charge!" Fritz bellowed over the sound of the announcer, the blue beam from his Medigun trained on the Heavy. The Pyro heaved his Degreaser into the air with a maniacal laugh.

A heavily bandaged hand suddenly slapped her shoulder and her startled gaze met the Scout's.

      "Let's waste 'um!" He cheered, holding his Scattergun ready, all traces of his former awkwardness gone. Dani offered a rare, genuine smile as she tightened the grip on her rifle.

Suddenly the siren blared and the gates to the respawn room were thrown open. Dani waited for the rest of her team to tear out into the blazing desert with roars of anticipation before slipping silently behind them. In the commotion of both teams' ubercharges, Dani was able to climb up the side of a building unseen.

The triangle roof was split in half by an extra room on the left side. Dani laid herself flat against the sloping shingles, using the corner of the top-floor room for added cover. Only her rifle could be seen over the roof from the REDs' side, and since she was in the shadows, only if they knew where to look.

She watched with a smirk as the RED Medic's ubercharge faded and their Heavy continued to mow down her teammates.   
  
BANG! The Heavy collapsed with a howl under her perfect headshot. The RED Medic jumped back in alarm, but not fast enough. BANG! The doctor was thrown off his feet in a hail of blood.

Dani grinned with satisfaction. It felt so good to finally do what she did best.

      "OI, LASSIE!"

She jumped back in shock and horror as red stickybombs rained down on her,

      "GREETIN'S FROM SCOTLAND!"

A flash of white light blinded her spectacularly. All the sounds of battle suddenly ceased, left with an empty void.

Then suddenly she felt a sickening sense of compression, as if she were being shoved through a metal tube half her size...

Dani collapsed, gasping onto the respawn room floor.

      _"Schweinhund,"_ She growled, grabbing her rifle and running out the door. The battle had moved to the RED side, and she ducked down into one of the tunnels and out of sight.

Her feet barely made a sound in the soft dirt as she raced through the darkness toward the sound of gunfire. She rounded the corner to the tunnel's opening and nearly collided with the RED pyro. He let out an evil laugh as Dani threw herself back instinctively, reaching for her pistols as she fell, but was a second too late.

An ungodly scream erupted from her throat as she was bathed in flame. She barely heard the shotgun blast as her world went black. Then came the inevitable compression and she was once again shaking on the respawn room floor.

Dani rubbed a trembling hand over her face and swore. She had rarely been sent to respawn during her years at Well, and never twice in one match. What bothered her most was the fact the Pryo seemed to have been waiting for her.

After all those years of training, was she really going to let a drunk and filthy arsonist get the best of her?   
  
She staggered into the blinding light of the desert, trying to regain some sense of control. Vhy hasn't anyvon else been sent to respawn? She wondered. A loud explosion came from the RED side and she tore after it.

Before she got even halfway there the RED Heavy all but appeared right in front of her eyes. Dani swore and dodged into a darkened tunnel, trying to put as much distance between herself and the Minigun as possible. With the blood roaring in her ears, she never heard the enemy soldier on the other end coming.

      "EAT AMERICAN ROCKET, KRAUT!" He bellowed. Dani didn't have time to open her mouth before a violent blast erased the world. She was once again sent right back to respawn.

      "Vhat zhe HELL is going on!?" She roared, slamming her fist on the white tile floor.

      "Welcome to Dustbowl, sweetcheeks."  
  
Dani found herself staring up at the RED scout. He was taller than his BLU counterpart, but the Boston accent was unmistakable. Her face darkened as he knelt down in front of her with a smirk.

      "S'nice ta know the BLUs suck so bad they need an extra member. Even if they did pick a Nazi bitch like y-."

The rest was lost as the German lunged, tackling the Bostonian with surprising strength. The Scout screamed as a bullet went straight through his shoulder and managed to knock her pistol away. With a grunt he managed to throw her off and jumped to his feet. She stood her ground, fists raised and teeth bared as the man over a foot taller than her grabbed his baseball bat.

Before she could dodge away he swung it hard into her stomach, sending her reeling into a shed. She crashed to the floor with a gasp as the Scout came after her again. Dani growled in rage as she lifted both legs and kicked him as hard as she could in the groin.

The Bostonian doubled over, groaning in pain. She grimaced at the pain in her stomach as she twisted and reached for the pistol that had been thrown from her grip. The Scout slammed his bat over her reaching arm, and Dani's vision whitened as she felt the bones inside it break.

      "Nazi _bitch!"_  
  
Bandaged hands circle around her ankle, trying to drag her across the wooden floor and away from the gun. Dani twisted in his grip and kicked him expertly and ferociously in the skull with her free leg. He howled in pain and released her, his hands flying to his head as he twisted away in agony.

Dani crawled one-handed toward the gun, her mind a torrent of instinct, rage and her father's training. She couldn't fight him off with one hand, she needed the gun, she needed the bloody-

Dani growled as she was suddenly twisted onto her back. The Scout towered over her with the Scattergun and fired.

Her entire body jolted at the impact, and every inch of her was screaming in pain, boiling in blood-   
     
      _"VICTORY!"_ the announcer boomed over the battlefield.  
  
The Scout smiled at the sound of it, despite the fact it meant his team had lost.

Dani coughed violently as blood bubbled in the back of her throat. The Scout knelt over her with a malicious grin.

_"Ya know what that means, sweetcheeks? The match is over. Respawn barrier's gone."_

Dani's eyes narrowed as she convulsed, choking on her own blood as it slowly filled her lungs. The RED scout leaned even closer to his blood-soaked rival.

      _"Better hope yer Medic finds ya soon. If not … well I guess I'll have ta keep dominatin' the rest a' yer team."_  
  
With that he gently slapped the side of her bloody cheek as if she were an old friend and left.

Tears of pain, hate and rage streamed down her face as blood ran from the corners of her mouth. She tried to push herself up, but the pain was too much. She collapsed back into the warm scarlet pool that had formed around her. Darkness gathered in the corners of her eyes and she fought to stay awake as her very life slipped away in streams of red. Beaten by a cocky brat, she should have been able to skin him alive...

      _They'll never find me._

Dani coughed again, misting the wall with crimson. She growled with defiance as her failing eyesight discerned someone standing in the doorway. Someone wearing red.

      _"Mon dieu..."_  
  
Dani coughed and tried to push Adrien away as the RED spy knelt down and gathered his enemy's broken form into his arms. His heart raced at the realization of just how much blood the girl had lost.

      "It's alright, I am trying to 'elp you!"

Dani howled as he hitched her up and climbed to his feet.

      "Stay with me now!" He growled, cloaking them both and tearing out the door toward the BLU infirmary. Adrien's breath caught in anger as he felt the girl slowly going slack in his arms. The Scout hadn't mentioned this in his 'initiation' plan.

      "Stay awake, chère! We are almost there!" The color drained from his face as the young sniper became little more than dead weight in his grip. The RED spy burst into the BLU compound just as his cloaking watch revealed them both.

      "DOCTEUR!" He bellowed, rounding the corner to the infirmary and running smack into Flynn.

      "What th' bloody—!" The sniper's voice died in his throat at the sight of Dani's blood-soaked, unconscious form.  
  
      "WHERE IS YOUR DOCTEUR!?" Adrien roared, causing Flynn to jump. Fortunately, Fritz had heard the commotion and bellowed in furious German for them all to get inside.

At the doctor's bidding, Adrien laid Dani's broken body onto the operating table. Her deathly pallor gleamed sickeningly under the florescent light as the Medic felt her neck for a pulse. His face blanched and he glared at Adrien.

      "Danke, now get OUT!"  
  
Flynn grabbed his rival by the neck of his suit and threw him bodily into the hallway.

     "What th' _HELL_ did you _DO._ " Flynn roared as Adrien pulled himself to his feet.

     "I saved 'er life! It was the _Scout_ who left 'er for dead!"  
  
The Aussie made as if to hit the Spy, but his eyes traveled to Adrien's blood-soaked suit and he turned away with a curse.

Adrien straightened himself up wordlessly, fixing his bloodied jacket.

      "I never suspected 'e meant to kill 'er permanently. 'Ad I known, I would never 'ave permitted it." Flynn's face darkened at the thought and he turned to the RED Spy murderously.

      "And th' mongrel? We're jus' gonna let'm get away with this!?" He demanded and Adrien took a step back to ready his watch.  
  
      "I will deal with 'im. This will not 'appen again."  
  
With that, Adrien vanished into thin air as Flynn's defeated form fell back against the infirmary wall.


	4. For Every Action

The BLU Medic worked quickly and methodically to remove the shrapnel from Dani's body as the Medigun gently hummed above him, keeping her alive. The entire base had heard what the RED Scout had done to its newest member, and every member waited in silent anger for updates.

Only Flynn and the Heavy had been permitted inside the infirmary while Fritz operated. The rugged Australian paced the room impatiently while the Russian stood sentry at the door, making sure no one else attempted to get inside. The Engineer, with his dispensers and limited medical know-how, had taken up Fritz's usual post-match duty of healing minor injuries. Now all they could do was wait.

      "Doc, how much longer is it gonna be!?" Flynn demanded.

Fritz glared up at him angrily as sweat ran down his face.

      "I could vork faster if you vould stop _asking!"_     
  
      "You've got a gun that shoots _medicine,_ I don't understand why she's still bleedin!" He admitted angrily.

Fritz shook his head murderously and ripped off his gloves before storming toward his medical supply cabinets. Flynn watched as the Medic returned with a glass of water.

      "You look dehydrated, Flynn. Drink zhis and _bitte_ let me do my job."

Flynn opened his mouth to retaliate, but withered under Fritz's glare and accepted the glass wordlessly. The Medic turned away to find a fresh pair of gloves as the Sniper slowly drained the water and set the empty glass aside. Honestly, he had been rather thirsty. Just happened to have more pressing matters on his mind.

Fritz threw him a knowing glance before leaning down, resuming the surgery.

      "You might vant to sit down, Herr Sniper."

      "What d' y' mean, D—"  
  
Flynn gasped as his eyes suddenly grew impossibly heavy, the room whirling around him. He groaned as his knees buckled under merciless exhaustion and the Heavy lunged in alarm to catch him. The giant Russian easily lifted Flynn's limp body onto a free gurney, eyes wide with concern.  
  
      "Sniper, what is it?"   
  
Flynn sank into the mattress with a murmur of confusion and fell deeply asleep.

The Heavy removed Flynn's sunglasses and hat carefully, frowning at the Australian's still form before turning hard eyes back to the Medic.  
  
      "Doktor," he asked slowly, in a voice that had sent grown men running, "why did you _drug_ our _Sniper?"_  
  
Fritz was unfazed as the Heavy set the glasses on the table.

      "Because he vas getting in zhe vay."

The Russian sighed and frowned again at Flynn, who barely seemed to breathe under the powerful sedative. He glanced back as the doctor swore under his breath in German, working feverishly to save the young sniper. The Heavy opened his mouth to say something, but closed it instead and resumed his lonely post at the infirmary door.

* * *

 

The RED Scout collapsed onto his bed with a groan. As much as he hated to admit it, every inch of him ached, his head in particular. The Scout looked down at his hands, encased in bloodstained bandages, as if they belonged to somebody else.

The image of the BLU sniper lying at his feet, covered in blood and gasping for air, seemed to be burned into his retinas. He swore and shut his eyes, but the look of hatred on her dying face only sharpened in his mind. He shook his head violently, trying to force it away. _S'a war, ain't it? People are supposed ta die in a war…_

      "What the _'ell_ were you thinking."  
  
The Scout barely had time to react before Adrien had him by the throat and slammed him against the wall.

      "Wh-wha—!?" The Scout choked, pulling at the RED Spy's tightening hand.

Adrien growled as the young man's face flushed and released him with disdain. The Scout slumped against the wall, gasping for air as a coughing fit wracked his body.  
  
      "Wh-what- _gives_!?" he choked, glaring up at the older man as he rubbed his neck. Adrien folded his arms as the Scout straightened to his feet.

      "I know what 'appened out there today, Conner." The Scout recoiled involuntarily. He had no idea the Spy knew his real name … or the events of today's match.  
    
      "So what." Conner spat, stretching to his full height, which was well over Adrien's, "The point a' war is ta beat the other side, ain't it?"

Adrien's face darkened.

      "Don't insult my intelligence, boy. You did not leave that girl to die for your _employer_." He replied, watching the Scout's resolve falter, "What you did served only to satisfy your own insufferable _ego_."  
  
Scout shoved him away angrily, pissed that the Frenchman was trying to intimidate him... and succeeding.

      "The hell does it _matter_ why I did it? She's only here cause a' me anyway! Their old Sniper's all washed up so they go n' find some Nazi bitch ta' replace'm—!" The rest was lost as Adrien rammed his fist squarely against the bruise formed by Dani's foot hours ago.

The Scout howled in pain, he couldn't help it. White lights popped in front of his eyes and he was vaguely aware of Adrien dragging him over to the bed and sitting him up.  
  
      "You listen to me, boy. The next time you decide to sacrifice matches and murder for your own _amusement_ … the Administrator _will_ know about it." The Scout flinched as the Spy's face suddenly appeared in front of his own.

      "Do we 'ave an understanding?" Adrien asked ominously.

Conner nodded almost imperceptively.  
  
      "Good."  
  
With that Adrien strode away, slamming the door behind him as the Scout sank back into the bed. He gratefully let the impending darkness envelope him and all conscious thought faded away.

* * *

 

Hours later, Flynn stirred and moaned, rubbing his eyes against the glare of the infirmary room lights. His head pounded fiercely as he slowly sat up and gazed around. Fritz was slumped at his desk. His head had sunk into his folded arms, still covered in bloodstained gloves, and he was sound asleep.

The Sniper couldn't help but stare. It was rare to see the doctor relaxed at all, let alone sleeping. Coupled with the fact he still wore his bloodstained clothes and sweat of the day, it seemed almost wrong. Flynn frowned as the Medic suddenly twitched and moaned, as if he were trapped in the midst of a nightmare.

      "Tha's what y' bloody get for druggin' me y' mongrel…" He murmured, shaking his head. Flynn gasped, remembering why he had been there to begin with. He turned to the operating table and his mouth fell open, face draining of color.

Dani was gone.

The blood from her surgery was still pooled around the table, and the Medigun had long since been turned off. Flynn's head swam as an icy chill enveloped his body, as if he'd been plunged in freezing water. _Oh god no … no, no, no…_

Flynn leapt to his feet, but immediately regretted it as his head swam sickeningly from the sedative. He staggered to the desk and shook the doctor roughly. 

      "Doc, Doc! Wha' 'append!?"

Fritz bolted upright, shaking beneath an icy sheen of sweat. He fumbled to straighten his glasses as Flynn gripped his shoulder in fear.

      " _W-was ist los?_ "

Flynn gestured to the empty operating table in exasperation.

      "Doc, what 'appened to Dani!?"

The Medic blanched at the sight of the vacant table, still trying to come to grips with reality.

      "I-I finished zhe surgery hours ago but sh-she shouldn't have been able to just valk avay!"  
  
Flynn released his shoulder and rubbed a shaking hand through his hair.

      "But she was alright?" Fritz nodded numbly, still staring at the table.

Flynn's eyes lowered to the floor, where part of a patch of fabric from her vest had fallen.

      "...She couldn't 'ave gotten far."

The Medic gathered his composure and nodded, climbing to his feet.

      "Go now, I vill alert zhe ozhers."

With that, Flynn pushed through the infirmary doors and bolted out of sight.

Despite the heat of the day, the night hours of the desert were excruciatingly cold. Flynn shivered as he studied the ground, looking for the girl's footprints or any other indication of where Dani had gone. His heart leapt as he found a set of erratic prints seemingly leading toward his camper.

Flynn jogged toward the trusty old van, anxious about what he would find. The heavy desert silence only served to intensify his fears. His feet barely made a sound against the soft dirt as he sped through the darkness.

A light was on in the van, causing his heart to skip a beat. The bushman slowly crept toward the door, tensing as he heard shuffling inside. His shit being moved. A mix of strangled German. With a determined face he turned the handle on the camper door and slowly pulled it open.

The camper was in a state of complete disarray. Dani was on the floor of his van, reaching desperately under the couch for one of the cases where he kept his hunting knives. He slowly climbed into the camper, wincing as the van creaked under his weight.

Dani whipped around, cocking a pistol as she did and aiming it squarely between his eyes. Flynn held up his hands in surprise.

      "Eeeasy, love. It's jus' me, now."

The gun shook in her trembling hand as confusion filled her face. He took a cautious step inside as it lowered.

      "Y' mind tellin' me _why_ yer turnin' me camper upside down?"

The gun was tossed aside with a thud as she turned back to the latched case.

      "I need a knife. I know you have vone."

Flynn sighed as he knelt down beside her.

      "Y' don't need a bloody knife right now, y' need _rest_."

She ignored him, tilting the lid to find one of his spare kukris.

      "I need a knife. I used to have von, but I lost it-"  
  
Her face clouded with confusion as he gently pried the case from her grip and slowly pulled her to her feet. Dani made a half-hearted attempt to pull away, but her head swam, and her chest sang a symphony of pain.   
  
_You can't get attached, Bernadette. It's too dangerous for people like us._  
  
The Sniper slowly scooped her into his arms and sat them both on the weathered couch that took up most of the camper. Flynn wrapped his arms protectively around her as she still tried stubbornly to get away.

      "Stop bloody squirmin' already, yer in no state for revenge."

Dani inwardly grumbled as he drew her gently against his chest, vaguely surprised at how comfortable it seemed … and how tired she was. The Australian radiated heat like a furnace and, although the scent of him was foreign, it was far from unpleasant.

      "You're varm…" she breathed, relaxing against Flynn as he lightly brushed the hair from her ashen face.  

      "Close yer eyes, love." He whispered gently.

Dani frowned, realizing what he was doing.  
  
      " _Nein._ " she groaned, stubbornly trying to escape the Sniper's grasp, but he was having none of it.

      "Y' nearly died t'day, y' need to rest. The REDs'll keep til mornin." Flynn said quietly, wrapping her head gently under his chin. Dani's resolve waned as the exhaustion finally caught up to her. It felt safe and warm in the Aussie's grip, despite the alarm bells that rang in the back of her mind.

_You can't get attached, Bernadette._

      "Tha's it, love." He murmured softly, "Go t' sleep, now."

Flynn brushed the loose strands of brown hair aside and smiled, realizing she already had.


	5. Loyalties

Adrien sped silently through the BLU base under the safety of his cloaking watch. He knew it was risky, but on the off-chance the girl hadn't survived … he couldn't be sure how Flynn would react. He had debated hiding in the shadows overnight but, given the circumstance, it would have been foolish to believe the BLUs would have shown any mercy to a trespassing RED.

Adrian dismissed the idea of going to the infirmary and instead made his way toward his rival's camper van.

_Someone needs to check on him, if the Medic couldn't save her-_

An unseen hand clasped over the RED Spy's mouth, another grabbed his arm from behind. A voice whispered in French next to his ear.  
  
     _"You **really**  shouldn't be here."_

He warily allowed himself to be led around the other side of the sniper's van, far out of view of either base. Adrien shook himself free with a growl, annoyed to have been caught so unaware. He answered the voice in anger-laced French.

      _"You've made your point, Lestat. What is this about?"_

The BLU spy suddenly appeared before his eyes with a scowl.

Lestat shared the same country of origin and smoking habit. While they seemed remarkably similar, the faces behind the masks told a different story. The BLU Spy was shorter by several inches, his curly hair a rich black that he kept swept back under the mask. Intelligent brown eyes missed nothing, on or off the field.

Adrien's eyes were ice blue, his hair short and usually ruffled, a soft shade of light brown. Lestat was aged somewhere in his late 20's, while Adrien was further into his 40's than he cared to admit. 

       _"I could ask you the same thing, Adrien."_  Lestat retorted, folding his arms. The RED Spy threw a sideways glance at the camper and frowned.

      _"The girl did not survive, did she?"_  He ventured. Lestat sighed and lit a cigarette from his disguise kit.

      _"She's alive."_

Adrien raised an eyebrow and accepted the cigarette his counterpart offered.

      _"That's it? Nothing else?"_  He asked and Lestat smirked.

       _"Well our Medic felt it necessary to sedate your muse, but other than that…"_  he shrugged.

       _"He **what?"**_ Adrien exclaimed, shocked enough to let the jest go. Lestat nodded.

       _"Flynn's impatience eventually drove Fritz to slip him a sleeping pill. In all the time I've been here, I've never seen them so tense."_  Adrien blew the smoke out of his mouth and shook his head in wonder.

       _"Where is everyone now? In the infirmary?"_  He asked. Lestat smirked again, getting comfortable against the edge of the van. Adrien listened wordlessly as Lestat explained the events of the night before, ending with Dani stealing away from the camper early that morning, Flynn still asleep inside.

Adrien smirked, snuffing his cigarette in the dirt.

       _"I knew he felt something for that girl."_

Lestat folded his arms brown eyes steeling with resolve.

       _"As grateful as my team is, you should not have saved her. It was far too risky."_

Adrien's mouth fell open in shock.

       _"What was I **supposed** to do? Leave her there to die? The Scout shot her just before the end of the match on purpose!"_

Lestat was not moved in the slightest by his enemy's speech.

       _"I am not saying permanent death on the field is not tragic, it is. I am only two years older than she, and I've hardly had my fill of life. But the Administrator has the power to make our lives a living hell, and It's bad enough you refuse to harm one of us already."_

Adrien's jaw clenched. His normally-composed face melted into a murderous mask, and when his throat finally unlocked, the words he spoke were laced with venom.

       _"That isn't_   ** _fair_**."

Lestat lit yet another cigarette, his stance a forced calm he did not feel beneath that gaze. But he respected the man before him, and these were facts Adrien needed to hear.

       _"It's the truth, my friend. Whether you care to admit it or not. If you don't send the boy to respawn now and then, someone will notice."_

He couldn't believe the words coming out of Lestat's mouth.

       _"Do you realize what you're asking of me?"_

Adrien's voice was little more than a threatening growl, but Lestat showed no sign of backing down.

       _"It all comes down to the paperwork. You know how it would look."_  

      _"Lestat, can you even hear what you're saying?!"_  

The BLU Spy could only stare coldly at his livid counterpart.

       _"He's part of BLU. You're part of RED. A clean shot now and then is all you nee-"_

Lestat choked as Adrien's hand cinched around his throat, dragging the Spy away from the van and slamming him against a boulder. The RED leaned dangerously close to the younger man, grip tightening as he did.

       _"I will give you one last chance to walk away from this discussion."_

Lestat gasped and coughed as he was released. A glove hand loosened his tie as he managed to straighten.

      _"He's your enemy. Acting otherwise on the field may cost your contract. Think about that the next time you let him go."_

Adrien towered over the Frenchman, face twisting into a cruel smirk. 

       _"Part of my **job**  used to be finding discrepancies in the respawn report. Perhaps you  **remember**."_   

The silence that fell between them seemed almost alive in its intensity. Lestat's face reddened further with rage, chest still heaving from having his throat constricted. The BLU Spy lifted his watch, disappearing in a cloud of smoke. Adrien let him go, hearing the muffled shifting of the van that meant Flynn had woken inside.

Another battle for another day.

 

* * *

 

_"OUR CONTROL POINT IS BEING CAPTURED!"_

Dani paid the announcer no mind as she crept through the shadows, her pistols drawn and ready. The events of the day before seemed like a distant memory in her mind. All but one.

The RED Scout. He was out there.  _Somewhere_.

Dani ducked under an incoming rocket and fired a single shot at the RED Soldier. The bullet caught him in the head easily and he collapsed into the dirt. She grinned and slipped into a building before anyone else could spot her. Even with handguns, she could fire with deadly accuracy.

Suddenly a bandaged hand yanked her vest from behind. The Sniper was pulled back just as the RED Heavy's Minigun fired at the spot where she'd been standing moments before.

      "Ya need ta' watch where yer goin' sweetheart!" The stranger laughed.

Dani swung her gun around instinctively but that same bandaged hand caught her wrist. Instead of that bastard RED, she found herself staring at the BLU Scout. He grinned easily.

      "S'nothin' personal, but I'd rather ya  _not_  blow my brains out. We're on da same  _team_  after all."

She let her breath out, unaware that she'd been holding it.

      "Zhen stay out of my vay."

The Scout was left to watch her retreat, a slight frown tugging at the corners of his mouth, interrupted by a RED Demo that needed her face smashed in.

      "Oh hey, ya bomb-throwin' drunk, back for more?" 

Dani faintly heard the Demo scream as she circled around to the RED side of the base. The entire RED team was engaged in battle over the control point, all except the RED Scout. The Bostonian was hanging back by the respawn room, looking torn between going out there and staying put.

With almost an air of indifference, Dani walked into the open and directly toward him, armed with only her pistols.

Connor's mouth dropped as the BLU Sniper appeared out of nowhere, bold as brass. She walked toward him evenly, her expression unreadable. He quickly regained his resolve with a growl and sped toward her, bat raised and ready.

The RED Pyro made a beeline for Dani, and she put a bullet in his head with little more than a glance. The Scout's eyes widened in horror as the German bent down and grabbed the Degreaser without breaking her stride. He put on a burst of speed, hoping to catch her before she could figure it out, but it was too late.

The RED Scout screamed as his entire body went up in flames. Dani let out a curse and threw the flamethrower aside, her hands searing in pain and smoke and chemicals choking her airways.

The RED Medic sped out of the respawn room and quickly aimed his Medigun at the Scout, watching the flames extinguish and skin heal as Dani doubled over in a violent coughing fit.

Cries for the Doctor echoed from the control point and he took off in that direction, leaving the Scout to climb shakily to his feet. He circled both hands around his baseball bat as Dani unsheathed Flynn’s kukri.

      "Back for more huh? S'okay. I don't mind kickin' your Nazi ass  _again_." He taunted as they slowly began to circle.     

      "I’m vaiting to be impressed." 

Suddenly a stickybomb erupted near the respawn room, and the split second it caught Scout's attention was all Dani needed. She tackled the Scout to the ground, pinning him and pressing the knife to his throat.

He thrashed beneath her as the bat was kicked out of reach.

      "Get offa me!" Connor howled. Dani only offered him a patiently wry smile, savoring the moment.

      _"_ _MISSION ENDS IN THIRTY SECONDS!”_

The announcer boomed over the battlefield. The Scout’s face drained of color as the Sniper froze, the knife still stiff against his throat.

      "You wouldn't."   
  
The childish statement escaped his mouth before he could stop it.   
  
      _"You don’t know me.”_  
  
The Scout snarled as the match end neared, along with the fading of the respawn barrier, afraid to move and slice open his own neck for her.

      "You can't do this!" He yelled, swearing as she grabbed a fistful of his hair and leaned down.   
  
      "I _can,_ Herr Scout. And I vant you to know somezhing." she tightened her grip on the knife, leaning close to his ear as her voice fell to almost a lover’s whisper.  
  
      "I’m not just doing zhis for revenge, or because I vas a _child_ during zhe Zhird Reich. I’m doing zhis, _because I **enjoy it**.” _     
  
Neither noticed the BLU Scout running toward them, eager to aid his teammate.

      "Yo, Snipes! Need any h—"   
  
Dani watched in horror as a bullet caught him in the ribs, throwing him off his feet.

      _"_ _MISSION ENDS IN TEN SECONDS!”_

She gazed from the RED Scout frozen in fear to the BLU Scout trying weakly to stem the flow of blood from his ruined chest. RED. BLU. Kill her enemy. Let her teammate die.

The Sniper let out a vicious curse, spinning the knife in one lightning move and ramming the handle against the RED's skull. Dani left the unconscious man's side and reached for her pistol, aiming carefully at the BLU Scout's head, wanting to send him to respawn before the time ran out.

Another shot reverberated through the battlefield and Dani was thrown forward, almost on top of her injured teammate.   
  
      _"_ _YOU FAILED!”_

The Sniper groaned in pain as blood flowed from the deep graze in her left bicep.

_“Gottverdammte.”_

The BLU Scout was coughing weakly as blood gushed under his hands. He looked up as she knelt beside him, inspecting the damage. The Scout was in bad shape, and no other BLUs were in sight.

      "Come on." She hissed, lifting his upper body, "Ve need to find zhe Medic."

Dani tried to pull him to his feet, but he was too weak to stand and they both collapsed once again.

 _“_ _DOCTAH!”_ she howled, to no avail.

The Scout's hand clenched weakly around Dani's and she looked down in surprise. He was struggling to say something, but sank back into another coughing fit. White hot anger suddenly licked her insides, watching the kid slowly die from a body shot.

      " _Nein_." She growled, climbing to her feet. She lifted the Scout's upper body once more, dragged him to his feet long enough to get his arm over her head, and hoisted him in a fireman’s carry. His long limbs almost touched the ground still, and it was doing his injury no favors, but she had little choice when her left arm was refusing to move, let alone bear his weight.

      "Ve're getting out of zhis." Dani heaved him up and proceeded to carry the man over a foot taller than her back to the base.

The going was slower than she liked. The Scout quickly lost consciousness, and Dani clenched her jaw as blood continued to trickle down her back, and from her own wound. After what seemed like ages the base doors finally loomed into view.

      "Sniper!" A voice barked. She turned as the BLU Soldier jogged into view.   
  
      "Bitte, take him, he needs zhe Medic now!" She begged as the Soldier carefully tugged the motionless Scout off her shoulders and into his arms.

      "You deserve a medal, Sniper." He barked, but not without a hint of sincerity. With that, the Soldier jogged down the hall with the injured Scout.

Dani fell back against the wall with a grateful sigh. She looked over at the bullet hole covered by her shaking hand and groaned.

_You’ve had worse, Bernadette. Treat it, and move on._

Dani was far too relieved to finally collapse into a chair to care that she was last in line to see the Medic. A dispenser was humming between her and the engineer, who was also last, but the healing beams were sluggish at best. She slammed her fist over the top, grateful when it actually seemed to respond to blunt force trauma and doubled its efforts. The Sniper barely caught the Engineer’s approving smirk before she sank back in her seat with satisfaction and passed out.

* * *

 

The line to see the Medic thinned slowly. Although only the Spy, Demoman, Heavy, and Engineer had been waiting, the Scout had taken a large amount of time to work on. Only the Engineer had noticed when Dani had assaulted his dispenser, but had quickly forgotten about her as they waited for news on the Scout.

After what felt like hours, the Medic emerged from the infirmary and they all straightened up expectantly. Sweat ran down his face and his tie had been pulled loose over his untucked shirt.

      "Zhe Scout vill be fine." He announced, and there was a collective sigh of relief.

The Medic pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose and gazed around at his potential patients.

      "Who is most injured?"   
  
The Engineer sat back in his seat, the gash on his arm long since healed by the dispenser. He looked over at Dani and frowned at her unconscious form.   
  
      "… Hey, Doc?" He called cautiously as he gently shook the girl's shoulder. The sniper jerked awake, hand going instinctively for a pistol until the engineer caught her wrist.

      “Easy, darlin.’ Just us BLUs.”

 _“Scheiße,”_ she muttered, sitting up straighter to take a look at her arm. The bullet graze was gone, but she still felt like shit.

Fritz cleared his throat, peeling back his bloodied blue gloves as he spoke.

      “Luke vill be fine. He owes you his life.”

      _“You’re god damn right, he does,_ ” the Sniper grumbled in German, not realizing she’d slipped until catching the Engineer’s look of confusion. Fritz shook his head and beckoned her inside the infirmary, Dell tugging her arm gently, but firmly, when she looked ready to refuse.

The girl had some fire, the Engineer had to give her that. She reminded him of his own daughter back in Texas.

The infirmary was still in disarray from the Scout's surgery. The boy in question was lying on one of the several beds pushed up against the wall. He was still deeply unconscious and didn't move in the slightest as they passed.

The Medic gestured toward the operating table Dani reluctantly hoisted herself on it with her good arm. He inspected the healed wound, bending her arm, checking her vitals. It seemed to have healed up fine.

      “I vould razher you not have fought in today’s match at all.” He admitted, looking at her chart. “Zhe healing guns can only do so much. You should have taken today to rest.”

The Sniper shook her head.

      “Zhey needed to see me. All of zhem. Zhe REDs zhink ve’re pushovers for needing an extra member. Ve need to push back tvice as hard. Show zhem ve’re more dangerous zhan ever. Yesterday vas bad timing, I can handle myself. And if zhey decide to focus on me, steamroll zheir control points. I vant zhem shell-shocked and _broken_ before zhis veek is over.”

The Engineer was grinning, and even Fritz managed a tight smirk as Dell turned back to him.

      "The REDs can't single her out forever, Doc. An’ if they do? All the more reason t’ blow ‘em to kingdom come. I _like_ this plan.”

 

* * *

 

The BLU Sniper paced murderously in front of his camper van. Rage boiled in Flynn's veins as the end of the match replayed in his mind over and over.

He had watched Dani battle the RED Scout from his nest. Flynn had fought with himself, wanting to pull the trigger and send the Scout to respawn, but he knew it wasn't his fight. In truth, the young Sniper and Scout reminded him of his early fights with the RED Spy.

Had Flynn been paying more attention to his surroundings, he would have seen the RED Soldier before he took the shot at Luke, leaving the poor boy dying in the dirt.

The Australian growled at the memory of it. It seemed all the REDs had grown fond of body shots, rather than clean kills.

His scope had revealed the look of torment on Dani's face as she chose between revenge and saving her fellow man. Flynn had been ready to take the shot at the BLU Scout himself when she jumped up with one of her handguns. He knew it would be easy for her at such a point-blank range, even though there were only seconds left.

Flynn's hands balled into fists as he remembered the shot that rang out with barely a second left, drilling a bullet in her arm and ruining her shot. He had swung the scope toward the direction of the sound, absolutely livid, and felt his mouth drop in astonishment.

The man staggering into the shadows, holding a smoking gun, was Adrien.

Flynn simply had to know  _why_. He had saved Dani's life the day before, only to put a bullet in her a second before the respawn barrier faded? It didn't make sense…

      "… ‘Ow are they?"   
  
Flynn reacted out of pure instinct at the sound of the nervous French accent. He ripped the Kukri free and _lunged_ , forcing Adrien to throw himself backward in surprise.

      _“Merde-_ ” he growled as the Sniper pinned him bodily against the van and held the gleaming knife to his throat.

      "Give me _one good reason_. Y’ bloody, backstabbin’ _fraud_."

Adrien’s face was more weary than frightened.   
  
      "I just want to know if they are both alright."

The Spy's tone was enough to make Flynn ease off, reluctantly allowing Adrien to straighten.

The RED scrubbed his face tiredly, and even with the mask it was no secret something was tormenting him badly.

      "I'm not proud of what I did today. I know 'ow it must look … with my shooting the Sniper right before the end of the match…"

Flynn's normally-expressive face was an unreadable mask, and that rattled Adrien more than his aggressive display.

      "I thought … I thought she meant to kill the BLU Scout permanently … so I fired at 'er arm to ruin the shot."  
  
Flynn frowned at that, brow drawing in confusion.   
  
      "Y’ shot at 'er cause y’ thought she wanted to  _off_  our Scout? Since when're y’ invested in th’ BLU team?"

Flynn watched in shock as the normally calm and collected killer suddenly looked twenty years older, his face ashen with stress. The Sniper sighed and sheathed the Kukri, knowing damn well it wasn’t the knife that had the Spy so tense.

      "Look, I dunno  _what's_  goin' on 'ere, 'lright? But I do know this. Dani wanted t’ send th' Scout back to respawn before th' match ended, not  _off_  th' wanker! I mean, crikey, she ended up carryin’ 'im back to th' Medic 'erself!"

Adrien's eyes snapped up.

      "You mean 'e's alright, then? Lucas is okay?"

The Sniper threw his hands up in exasperation.

      "Of course 'e is! Only reason I didn't 'elp 'er s'cause I been lookin' t’ gut yer ugly mug for causin' all this! 'Nd all you care about is our bloody  _Scout!?”_

The RED Spy seemed to deflate before the Sniper’s eyes, and for a moment it seemed as if Flynn was staring at a man broken beyond repair.

      "… That … 'bloody Scout' … 'appens to be my  _son_."

Flynn fell back in stunned silence, trying to wrap his head around his adversary’s words.  

      "Wh- _what_ _!?"_ He stammered.

Adrien slowly lowered to the ground and drew his legs in, leaning on them heavily as he contemplated his answer.   
  
      "I was recruited by RED years ago. I used to work for the SDECE, France’s external intelligence agency. One of my assignments went … badly. I was young, eager to prove myself, and fell easily into a trap. I was supposed to be killed, or made the scapegoat of the entire operation. I ran, made my way to the only safehouse I trusted … and an old woman was waiting for me. The same woman we ‘ear over the loudspeakers every day. She told me I could stay in France, wait to be imprisoned or shot … or come work for ‘er overseas. Start a new life. All I ‘ad to do was _sign_.”

Adrien fished a cigarette out of his case and lit it as Flynn slowly sat beside him.

      "RED shipped me to their training facility in Massachusetts. They taught me English … and their own form of espionage," he smirked, "The facility was stationed near Boston, and we were allowed to explore the city on certain weekends. One day I met a beautiful woman and she … she was everything to me."

Flynn watched the warmth that crept into his rival's eyes as nostalgia took over.

      "She was a single mother of seven boys … their father 'ad been killed in a car accident … and with so many kids, the poor girl didn't even 'ave time to grieve."

He took another drag on his cigarette as he remembered.

      "She was reluctant to let me 'elp 'er. To 'er, it felt like taking advantage of a stranger. Eventually 'er and the boys got used to me being there whenever I could. Truthfully, mon ami, I loved those boys every bit as much as I loved 'er."

The Spy's face darkened.

      "Lucas was born … and RED discovered what I 'ad been up to. Barely a week after the birth of my son I was shipped to Teufort. I threatened to quit … but they would 'ave deported me back to France to face the organization that set me up … and the family would be left with no assistance whatsoever."

Adrien sighed as he threw the cigarette away.

      "I went back to them for every single leave I’ve been granted in the three bases I’ve worked for. But, I never 'ad the 'eart to tell Lucas the truth. He grew up around me … I was there for 'im as often as I could … but I never told 'im. The times we were allotted were unbearably short … and I could never bring myself to drop that on 'is 'ead and run."

Flynn rubbed the back of his neck, waiting for his rival to go on. He had no idea what the Spy had gone through, and he couldn’t blame the man for being so angry when they’d been transferred to Dustbowl five years ago.

      "As if separating us wasn't enough … 20 years later, BLU ships 'im 'ere … I'm being paid to murder my own son …" Adrien's voice cracked and Flynn slipped off his hat with a sigh.

      "… Luke's a good kid. We all look out for 'im. I can understand why y' took a shot at our Sniper, not tha’ m’real 'appy about it … But … maybe i’s time t’ stop ‘idin’ this. ‘E ain’ a kid anymore, ‘e’ll understand.”

Adrien’s face went steadily white as Flynn tugged the shell-shocked man to his feet.

      “… What are you saying…?"

The Sniper smiled as he draped an arm around the Spy's shoulders and led him towards the BLU base.

      "I'm sayin,' let’s go see your son."

 

* * *

 

Dani stirred awake and groaned, annoyed the Medic had convinced her to nap in the first place. She felt achy, but not nearly as bad as the day before. She sat up stiffly and gazed over at the sleeping Scout.

His shirt was gone, chest heavily bandaged. But, he had a great deal more skin color than she remembered, especially when a great deal of blood was caked over the back of her uniform. She probably should have changed before napping.

The Sniper noticed the goosebumps over his arms and chest with a frown. The Medbay was rather cold, now that she thought about it. A pale hand grabbed the blanket off a nearby bed and draped it over the Scout’s shoulders.

He let out a soft snore and subconsciously snuggled under the sudden warmth. Dani couldn't help but smile and shake her head.

      "You owe me, mein Freund."

She jumped as the Medic suddenly moaned at his desk. His eyes were screwed shut, hands clenched into fists.

      " _Nnnh_  …  _Neinnh_  … _bitte…_ "

Dani quickly made her way over as he moaned again, obviously trapped in some kind of nightmare. She shook his shoulders firmly, prepared to jump back if he decided to swing.

 _"Fritz, wake up._ ” She called out in German.

The Medic's eyes snapped open and he jerked violently.

      _"Wha … where …_?" He scrambled to straighten his glasses as blue eyes finally recognized hers. Dani kept her palms raised, offering a small smile.

      _"In the infirmary. We’re safe. That sounded awful."_

 He rubbed a shaking hand over his face, cursing as he realized it was still clad in a bloody blue glove.

      _"I wasn't dreaming._ " He snapped, ripping the gloves off with disdain.

Dani simply rose an eyebrow, surprised he was actually trying to argue. Fritz leveled a glare at her before letting out a sigh of defeat.

 _"Fine. I was … but at any rate I'm glad you woke me up._ " A heavy yawn escaped his throat despite his efforts to conceal it, _"I have things to do_."

The Sniper rolled her eyes.

      _"The only thing you're doing is going back to bed. It doesn't take a doctor to know you're exhausted_."

He looked up in surprise as she pulled his tired body to its feet and steered him toward a bed.

 _"Dani, I don't have time to sleep_ …" the rest was lost under another tired yawn. She was having none of it. The Medic smirked as he laid on his stomach on the hospital bed.

      _"There, see? I'm lying down and everything. You can go now_."

Dani shook her head as her pale hands descended onto the doctor's shoulders, kneading them with practiced skill.

 _"As if you wouldn't get up the second I left_."

Fritz opened his mouth to protest, but her massaging hands felt wonderful against his tightened shoulders and back. The rhythmic kneading became almost hypnotic as the tension in his body eased. The Medic's eyes became half-lidded and he felt himself melt into the mattress.

      _"… Where did you learn this?_ " He murmured and Dani froze momentarily.

_"… My brother always had trouble sleeping when we were children. This was the only thing that helped. He was always on edge, afraid of his own shadow…”_

Fritz groaned as she worked out a particularly nasty knot in his back.

 _“… T_ _his does not mean that I’m tired,_ ” he muttered, sinking further into the mattress. A small smile tugged at the corner of Dani's mouth.

      _“You are tired, Fritz. And I’m not leaving until you sleep._ "

He let out a sigh of annoyance as his eyes drifted further closed.

      "…  _Dummkopf_  …"

A few minutes of silence passed, and the weary Medic’s eyes slipped shut. The Sniper gave his back one more gentle rub as the doctor was finally trapped by sleep. Dani shook her head with a smirk, gently removing his glasses and pulling the blanket up to shoulders. The Medic let out a soft sigh as she ran a comforting hand through his curly hair. Dani was struck again by how _young_ he was. Early 30s, if that. Too young to have a face lined with that much stress. Too handsome to be rotting here, in this useless, endless battle. What they waged day in and day out was little more than trench warfare.

She wondered what had happened to Fritz. What made him sign. If he had a life to go back to when the war was over. If the war was ever over. At least he was spared from that, even for a few hours. He truly needed sleep.

       _“_ _You will thank me later, my friend_."

Dani wheeled around as the infirmary doors opened quietly. Flynn smirked and strode over as she jumped up in alarm.

      "Keep it  _down,_ Dummkopf, zhe Medic only just fell asl—!"   
  
Her eyes widened in shock as the RED Spy strolled into the infirmary. Flynn had to seize her wrists as she immediately reached for her pistols, leaning close to her ear.

      "I's 'lright, love. 'E ain't here t' 'urt anyone." Dani wrenched out of his grip and eyed Adrien warily.

      "Good evening, Bernadette." The Frenchman nodded, "I trust the Medic was able to ‘eal your injuries?"

 She recognized the voice that had saved her from the RED Scout, but hazel eyes turned to pierce into Flynn’s.

      “Oh, zhat’s wunderbar, you told him my _name_.”

Flynn let out an awkward cough, rubbing the back of his neck as the Spy moved toward Luke's side. They watched, stunned, as the man peeled off his balaclava.

Ice blue eyes all but glowed in Adrien's pale face. Stubble noticeably covered his cheeks and his short light brown hair was neatly trimmed, though mussed by the mask.

      "Adrien … y' didn't 'ave t' do that." Flynn stammered, completely astounded. Adrien turned to the two and smiled.

      "E doesn't know me with it on. If, by god, the boy  _does_  wake up tonight, I don't want to scare 'im."

Dani watched in utter confusion as the RED Spy pulled up a chair beside the BLU Scout. Without the mask, she could discern more of his features, and found herself looking between the two. Same hair. Same eyes. Similar chin…

      “… _Oh mein Gott…”_

Flynn gently gripped her shoulders, steering her out of the Medbay.

      "C'mon, love. Let's leave'm be."

Dani threw glance over her shoulder, watching the RED father run a comforting hand through the hair of his BLU son.

**Author's Note:**

> This work is currently in progress. There will be more chapters soon.


End file.
